§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each of the functions relating to payment for goods or services supplied for which his Department is responsible indicating the management systems purchased, all sub-contractors involved in the work, co-operative arrangements with other Departments; and the costs of the systems and processes in the last year for which figures are available. [12556]
§ Mr. StrawIn the non-agency Home Office payments are made both centrally and locally. Central payments are processed by the Department's business accounting strategic system, BASS, which uses Ross Renaissance software; 98.31 per cent. of payments by value are processed via the bank automated clearing system. The 753W cost of processing central payments is estimated at £144,800. Payments to other Government Departments are made via Paymaster.
Payments may also be made locally by cheque or, exceptionally, by cash. Information on the cost of processing local payments is not available.
The Forensic Science Service is self accounting and is responsible for paying all of its suppliers for the services and goods it consumes. All payments are processed using the Systems Union accounting package, SUN. Of the payments made, 65.5 per cent. are via BACS the remainder being made by cheque. Any payments to other Government Departments are made by cheque. The cost of processing these payments is estimated at £48,000.
Within the United Kingdom Passport Agency, payments are made centrally by cheque, using SUN accounting software supplied by Systems Union. This includes payments to all other Government Departments. Operation of the payment function of the SUN system, including staff costs, was approximately £34,250 in 1996–97.
In the Prison Service payments are made both centrally and locally. Central payments are processed by the Prison Service's finance outstations and central unified system, FOCUS, which uses Tetra Chameleon software; 92.5 per cent. of payments by value are processed via BACS. The cost of processing central payments is estimated at £83,000; 98 per cent. of payments to other Government Departments are made via Paymaster.
Payments are also made locally at establishments by cheque or, exceptionally, by cash. Information on the cost of processing local payments is not available.
All Fire Service College payments are made locally at the college by cheque, except for expense claims under £10 which are paid in cash. All cheque payments are processed by the College's purchase ledger department, which uses CEDARDATA financial software; 89.2 per cent. of payments by value are paid by cheque, and payments to Her Majesty's Paymaster General in respect of loan interest is paid by Lloyds bank funds flow. The cost of processing all payments is estimated at £32,850.
If my hon. Friend is interested in particular aspects of our payment processing systems, perhaps he would write to me with further details.